Reginald Van Eekeren of Vanee Foods, 1944-2014

Reginald Van Eekeren's parents founded Vanee Foods in 1950, packaging oven-roasted sliced beef in rich beef gravy in frozen tubs that were sold to taverns and restaurants around Chicago.

Mr. Van Eekeren and his brother, Al, bought the company from their parents in 1976 and evolved an already changing product line to include custom-formulated food products for national restaurant chains, a soup base line and shelf-stable products for the military. Rations produced by the company were used during the Persian Gulf War.

Mr. Van Eekeren, known as "Reggie" or "Ron Vanee," headed the company's sales division and landed the prized contract with the Defense Department. Soon after, Time magazine ran a cover photo of an American soldier sitting atop a tank eating with a spoon from a can of Vanee Foods.

"Every time I'd look at that photo, I felt proud that it was our company feeding our troops," said Mr. Van Eekeren's son Andy, the company's chief financial officer. "But I felt even more proud that it was my dad who made it all happen. That was his baby."

Mr. Van Eekeren, 70, who retired a decade ago and split his time between his homes in Tucson, Ariz., and Wheaton, died Sunday, June 15, in Tucson, apparently of a heart attack, his family said.

Under Mr. Van Eekeren's and his brother's direction, the Berkeley-based company, which had started with three employees, grew to employ nearly 300, including six third-generation family members. The firm sells more than 500 varieties of customized food products.

"They took Vanee Foods to a whole new level," his son said. "They made it what it is today."

Born in Amsterdam and the youngest of five children, Mr. Van Eekeren immigrated to the Chicago area with his family in 1948. He joined his family's business as a full-time salesman after earning a bachelor's degree in business from Lewis University in Romeoville.

His parents founded Vanee Foods in what is now the River North neighborhood and moved it to Berkeley in the late 1960s. The company's big break came from the owner of a Chicago-based distributorship who frequented a tavern that served Vanee's roasted beef in gravy. The man was so impressed with the product that he tracked down Mr. Van Eekeren's father and asked if he was willing to pack the product in cans for a wider audience.

Mr. Van Eekeren's father invested $75 in canning equipment, and the company joined the shelf-stable entree business, later expanding to a custom-formulated line of food products, such as gravies and seasonings for national restaurant chains, including Culver's and Dairy Queen.

"It's an interesting company with a wonderful history," said Phil Bucci, a retired salesman for Central States Can in Ohio who for many years sold cans to Vanee Foods. "It's a success story that has everything to do with hard work, smart business sense and the kind of people running the place — all top-notch.

"Everybody knew Reggie. He was a natural salesman, but more importantly, he was just a great guy. He was fun and funny with a heart of gold. He was one of a kind."

Mr. Van Eekeren raised his family in Wheaton and spent many years coaching and volunteering at St. James the Apostle Catholic School in Glen Ellyn, where his children attended school. He was divorced from his wife, Mary, five years ago.

Other survivors include a son, Alex; a daughter, Amy Johnson; three sisters, Leona Carchedi, Adriana Van Eekeren and Bernadette Bastian; a brother, Al; and nine grandchildren.